


The Blanket

by shirewalker



Category: The Grisha Trilogy - Leigh Bardugo
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/M, Fluff, I wonder what will happen, Meet-Cute, University, grumpycat alina manages to snatch the attention of the owner of a teal coloured blanket ohhhhhh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-16
Updated: 2018-06-14
Packaged: 2019-03-19 14:33:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13706439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shirewalker/pseuds/shirewalker
Summary: done for a random request I received a while ago on tumblr (so so sorry!!)"I saw this prompt and I thought of you and what would u do w it (nikolina) "hey the fire alarm in our dorm went off at 3am and you ran outside without a coat wanna share my blanket?" I know u have a bunch going on rn but I just want to leave this here <3"





	1. Chapter 1

 

 

 

Dead!

“What to share?” A smooth voice spoke over her murderous thoughts. Alina swore the words were smiling or something. Maybe it was just her sleep deprivation getting the best of her…

Slowly, she dragged her gaze away from the lit up dorm building, no fire at all in it except for a plume of smoke from one of the ground floor rooms. Some idiots had decided to burn marshmallows with their candles and somehow set fire to their very flammable blankets. They were dead. And so damn stupid. Who lights up marshmallows around flammable fabrics?

“What?” She bit out just before she finally set eyes on whomever had spoken to her.

A smile that had all the edges and upturns of a mischievous smirk, dark eyes that sparkled under the streetlights with what she was sure was a deep green shade – maybe hazel in the sunlight – and smooth, perfect blonde hair. She blinked twice, not really believing what was standing in front of her.

“I was inquiring if you would like to share my blanket. You’re shivering, practically shaking head to toe, and without a coat.” He opened his arms, showing off a long and very fluffy teal blanket. Under it was an equally fluffy pyjama covered in little crowns and flying ships. She bit back a chuckle, finding the pattern a little too adorable for the university campus. Guys in here always slept in t-shirts and sweatpants or just their underwear or a mix of both. She suspected some slept naked, but thankfully she hadn’t been blinded by any accidental flashing yet.

“Right, accept a stranger’s blanket? And with him under it?” She deadpanned, doing her best at looking unimpressed by the guy. Which was a little hard, considering he was… Well, a dream. Totally speaking in artist terms of course.

His smile curved up a little higher, “Name’s Nikolai. There, we’re no longer strangers.”

She rolled her eyes, “Right.”

“Come now, sunshine. I promise I won’t touch you more than propriety would have it.”

She eyed him from the corner of her eye, trying to decide which she would prefer to sacrifice. Her dignity and snuggle up to him for warmth? Or comfort and stand her ground while freezing to death? She was tempted to go for second option until the moment a snowflake fluttered right in front of her eyes and settled on the tip of her nose.

“Ah, it’s beginning to snow.” He wondered, turning his face up to see the flurry a little better. Then, he looked back down and rose an eyebrow, a silent question hanging in the air. His arms widened a little, the invitation obvious.

Defeated by the stupid snow, Alina groaned and stomped into his embrace, wishing to all saints that they would help her with the blush that was practically exploding to life on her cheeks. Nikolai closed his arms around her and rubbed his hands up and down her body, bringing warmth back to her members, all while Alina stared into his chest, a bit of skin peeking through an unmade button. Saints kill her _now_.

“There, isn’t that better?” He spoke from above, his voice vibrating throughout her whole body. She wanted to die so badly. Because in that moment, her stupid body reacted quite positively to all of this. His looks, his smile, his embrace, his voice waking up every cell of her body. What was she? A hopeless young virginal girl that couldn’t keep it together around a maybe-handsome guy? “Hum?” He asked again and Alina swore she could hear his smile growing smugger and smugger with each second she spent in his arms. It was as though he could hear every single embarrassing thought running through her mind.

“A little, thanks.” She admitted and tried to get into a position that didn’t involve seeing his amazing and golden-tanned skin.

He chuckled and yet again her body seemed to sing, “You’re a little grumpy at this time of the night, aren’t you, sunshine?”

“Stop calling me that! And of course I’m grumpy, I was forced out of bed at three bleepin’ am thanks to some idiots that left their common sense back home!” She said, though it sounded more like a held back growl, as she finally turned in his embrace and had her back to him. There, at least now she could pretend to not be affected by his looks at all.

“What? Sunshine? Why ever should I? It fits you. Plus, you have yet to tell me your name, so I have to call you something.” He reasoned, his hold around her tightening a bit when a gust of wind blew through the trees.

Grounding her teeth so hard Alina could already hear the cries of all dentists in the area, she finally relented, “Fine, my name’s Alina. There, happy?”

“Oh, beyond words.” This time she was sure he was flashing that huge and sparkling insufferable grin he seemed to favour. “Alina… What a beautiful name.” He mused out loud, her name sounding incredible when he said it – again with the silly purple prose thoughts? –; the next moment the firemen finally exiting the building with two police officers and the culprits of the false alarm in tow. “Oh, seems like the local law didn’t believe their excuses.”

She frowned, “While I am happy they’re being taken, isn’t it a bit extreme?”

Nikolai shrugged, “Perhaps, though I don’t think they’re taking them to police station. Pretty sure they’re being taken to the Dean and then maybe spend the night in the security office. They have a nice room for troublemakers.”

“How do you know that?” she asked, never before having heard of such room. Was this guy a troublemaker of the sort that got meetings with the _Dean_?

“My mother’s the Dean.” He stated and a brick slapped Alina straight across her face. The Dean. Nikolai. He was the Dean’s son. Nikolai. Lantsov. He was Nikolai Lantsov.

“Oh.” She let out, hoping that Nikolai wasn’t a stereotypical Dean child, who would have anyone that didn’t kiss his ass suffering throughout their whole university life. And she had done anything but kiss his ass.

His chuckle broke her out of her stupor, “Not to worry, Alina. I may be her son, but I’m just as much of a regular student as you are. Well, I do have a scholarship for brilliant grades and get to choose my dorm as I please. But other than that, you don’t have to fear me. Or my mother.” He paused, “Maybe my mother you have to fear, she can be frightening when she wants to. Especially after she divorced her excuse of a husband.” He joked, although Alina could hear a dangerous undertone to his last words. “Ah, we’re finally allowed back inside, sunshine!” He said after a moment, when the last police officer finally waved everyone back in.

“Finally!” She said, clapping a little in celebration. She had missed her bed and its warmth so much. So, so much!

“Your eagerness to leave my warm embrace wounds me, Alina. And here I was thinking we had a thing going on.”

She looked back at him as he followed her back into the dorm and cut him a pointed look, “A thing? Is that what you call being a nice person?”

He pursed his lips for a moment, “Well, I wasn’t talking about just that, sunshine.” Then he winked as he caught up to her easily, “I was talking about everything else.”

She blinked, not sure what he meant. Surely he wasn’t talking about the possible physical attraction she might have felt? Or the way they easily found a banter dynamic? She shook her head and shot him yet another look, “Really? There was nothing else there. Just me, sleepy and freezing and you offering a bit of your blanket.”

His smile had all of her insides dancing the tango, or the samba, perhaps a merengue or all of them at the same time, she didn’t know and didn’t want to know. “Of course, Alina.” He stopped by the elevator, “Shall we?”

“I’m on the first floor, no need for elevator.” She said. First floor was nice, though she still would have preferred a higher floor, especially since she’d found out some rooms were spacious and had lovely views.

Nikolai nodded, “Very well. I’ll walk you there, then.”

She shook her head, “Oh, no. You don’t have to, really. You don’t.” Her voice became a little extra pitchy, but she really needed some distance from him. He was… He had her heart running too fast and that was enough to wish to be away from his presence.

A new smirk tugged on his lips, “Afraid I’ll drop by unexpectedly?”

She rolled her eyes, “No.”

“Well then, lead the way!”

She sighed, “Fine.”

Up the stairs and down her corridor she went, Nikolai following close by and drawing to himself the attention of everyone that was still outside their rooms. Alina felt her cheeks flush a deep pink with every step they took, her attention catching the wide eyes and the knowing smirks. As if she would hook up with him like this!

“This is me, thanks and goodnight!” She said, one foot already over the threshold when he caught her elbow.

“Tomorrow is blini day.” He said, his eyes never leaving hers, not even to peek inside her room.

“Yes…?” She asked, wishing he would leave her elbow alone. His touch was making her dizzy by now and she didn’t like to feel so lightheaded just because he was maybe-handsome and had some smooth talk.

“Can I save a seat for you at my table for breakfast?” He asked.

Hours later, as she got ready for breakfast and went through all of her life choices leading to that moment, Alina would question herself what led to her reply. Was it the hopeful glint in his eyes? Or how smooth he was with his veiled flirtatious lines? Maybe his looks? Or perhaps, just a mix of all that? It didn’t matter, not really, because the next moment she was uttering a little, fate-sealing word, “Yes.”

“Wonderful…” He breathed. Then, to add to her already bizarre night, he caught her hand and brought it up to his lips to place a soft kiss over her knuckles, “I look forward to it. My table is by the hot chocolate machine where the sun is the warmest in the morning.” He said before bowing to her again and waltzing off, a new bounce to his steps.

If Alina hadn’t been completely stumped with everything going on, she would have been tempted to say his bounce was a giddy one. But she _was_ stumped, completely lost in a stupor as her heart hammered fast against her ribcage and her cheeks turned several shades darker and butterflies exploded to life in her belly.

_Oh saints._

 

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the highly anticipated second part where Alina and Nikolai endure a storm together

 

 

 

Alina eyed the dark clouds drawing closer, their lazy pace threatening and not at all reassuring. A storm was building and from the looks of it, it would be a serious one.

Suddenly, she felt very glad for being here as she started the final page of her paper and not at the library. She loved that place but it looked as though the storm would have caught her halfway back home and that was so not in her plans.

“Want whipped cream and cinnamon in your cocoa, sunshine?” Another thing that hadn’t been in her plans… Nikolai.

Little under three months had passed since their first meeting and since then, Alina had found herself with a brand new best friend. Nikolai had quickly become a constant in her life, be it in between studying and projects or with actual school stuff. He was brilliant and, although his area was engineering and carpentry, he always offered his help should she need it. Usually, she didn’t, but sometimes it was nice to have someone trustworthy close by to read through her papers. Or help her revise for tests. Or pose for her drawing classes.

 _That_ was something that still felt too surreal. From the moment he’d walked in, to the moment she’d basically fled the classroom, her sketchbook full of portraits of his shirtless self. Thank the saints it hadn’t been a nude drawing class.

“Sunshine?”

“What?”

“The cocoa?”

“Oh. Right. Sure!” She answered, hoping she hadn’t drifted off for too long. That would have been… embarrassing. As was the fact that she was crushing on Nikolai for almost as long as they’d known each other. Saints help her.

“Here we go.” Nikolai announced as he placed two mugs of hot cocoa on his coffee table, putting extra flair to his gestures, “Hot cocoa with whipped cream and cinnamon, for my lady Alina.”

A blush threatened to ruin her poker face and she quickly dropped her pencil, just to hide behind her mane of hair. “Thanks.”

“Almost over?”

“What? Oh, yeah. Just a couple more paragraphs.”

“All right, enough time for the cocoa to cool down to a non-burning temperature.” He looked at the window, “In the meantime I should secure those. I heard we’re on orange alert for this storm.”

Alina barely heard him, focusing instead on her paper. This was History of Art and she loved this class! She couldn’t just… Lose focus because Nikolai’s hair was all gloriously messy or because he’d made cocoa just the way she loved. Saints, saints, saints! Genya would have a field day if she could see how big Alina’s silly teenage crush had gotten.

 

* * *

 

“Movie?” Nikolai suggested as soon as she’d shut down her laptop and put away her notes.

Alina eyed the dark windows, rain pitter-pattering on the closed window shutters. The storm was here, yet it seemed reluctant to unleash itself. Thunder groaned all around, just as reluctant as the rain itself. It was as though nature was holding its breath, waiting for the right time to pour everything down. She looked back at him, “With this weather?”

He waved off her remark, “You worry too much, Alina. We can always watch something as we await this dreaded storm.”

“You’ll fry your things, Nikolai.”

“I can buy new ones, if that is what worries you.” He said over his shoulder as he turned on the TV and DVD player. Alina rolled her eyes at how happy he sounded. Only Nikolai could afford to not worry over frying his appliances. “I was never a big fan of this TV anyway, sunshine. But mum bought it as a surprise, so…” He added as he flopped next to her and put the movie running.

“You’re waiting for a chance to get one you prefer?” She said, eyebrows raised at his ridiculous plan, “Can’t you just buy another one?”

“Drink your cocoa, Alina. And no, I can’t. It would hurt mum’s feelings and you know how much I care for those.” His voice softened and Alina quickly felt stupid for thinking Nikolai’s earlier words were those of a spoiled brat. Of course he would have a reason behind his lack of worry over a burnt TV. Even if it was a little convoluted.

“Do you have any candles?” She asked after a while, the movie twenty minutes in. Romance was blooming between the characters already, their meet-cute reminding Alina far too much of her own meeting with Nikolai.

She felt his gaze on her, a mischievousness weighing on it as he got his silly reply ready. She held her breath in resigned anticipation. “Feeling romantic?” He finally said and Alina found herself wishing he would just give her heart a break.

A sigh of pure exasperation left her lips, “I’m feeling more worried over the power going out and having no lights, Nikolai.” She looked down her mug and pouted a little. Her cocoa was all out. She needed more. Nikolai made her drink extra cocoa just by being himself.

“I’m sure we won’t…” His words were cut short as a loud thunder crashed right above them and darkness engulfed them the very next moment.

“You were saying…?” She deadpanned.

“Very well, I’ll go get the candles.” Nikolai said, getting up from the sofa. Well, it sounded like it. A string of hisses and pained groans followed his words, and Alina found a victorious grin growing on her lips. Serves him right, for not being prepared for the power outage.

Weird. Since Nikolai is always prepared.

In that moment Alina stopped breathing for a too long half of a second. Could he…? No. He couldn’t. Right?

A faint orange glow caught her attention. Nikolai flashed that insufferable smirk of his as he offered her a candle, “For my lady. Come, let us bring light to the world.”

His silly speech didn’t earn a snarky remark. Alina was far too busy hoping he didn’t notice how hard her hands trembled as she took the candle from his hands. In an attempt to pretend she wasn’t affected at all, she finally found her words and scoffed at him, “Feeling romantic?” She deadpanned.

Nikolai winked before beginning to light up other candles, “Always, Alina. Always.”

She rolled her eyes at his antics and proceeded to help with the candles.

“You seem to have a never-ending supply of candles…” She commented once they were done and sitting back on his couch. Nikolai hadn’t rested until the whole room was drowning in candlelight and Alina hadn’t been able to resist his request. It kept her distracted, at least. Oh saints, how had she gotten this lovey dovey over him? Not even when she was a naïve fifteen year old in love with her then-best friend has she been like this. And… Alina had been quite head over heels with _him_.

Nikolai leaned further into the embrace of his couch and sighed, a smile on his lips, “One must always be prepared, sunshine. And candles are one of those things you always need.”

“Oh?”

“Yes.”

“What for? Aside the power outages that don’t happen that often.”

“Well…” His voice changed, growing a little softer, “For romantic evenings for example. Nothing sets up the mood quite like candlelight, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Do you…” She cleared her throat, her heart thundering as loud as the storm overhead, “Have many of those?” Jealous? At this hour? What was she? Some stereotypical best friend that couldn’t handle not being romantically attached to the person she’s interested in?

She could hear the slow and deep breath Nikolai took, the way his body held it in for a moment before releasing it once more, “I could have. If I wanted to. There’s plenty of interested parties.”

“What’s stopping you?” She barely held back the urge to grit her teeth.

His next words were barely a whisper, “They’re not you.” And they echoed deep within her heart.

She blinked fast, focusing her breathing on the movements of the candle that stood right in front of her. He hadn’t. He couldn’t. She had to be hearing things. Finally, “What?” she whispered.

The couch shifted and when Nikolai spoke again, she was sure he was much closer now. And looking at her. Still, Alina refused to look at him, afraid she was just dreaming all of this. “Alina… Sunshine, please look at me.” His voice trembled as much as her own hands.

Steadying herself, Alina finally turned to him.

Nikolai’s lips turned up in a shaky but honest smile, “There you are.” As she took in the way the warm candlelight played with his features, Nikolai reached out and took hold of a lock of her hair, playing with it between his fingers. They remained silent for a long time, save for the thunderstorm and Alina’s thundering heart. She could barely breathe with how close Nikolai had grown, with how beautiful he looked in the flickering warm light. His hazel eyes were deep, nothing but their dark goldens and caramels alight right now. Still, she knew exactly where those wonderful shards of emeralds were, how they lit up in the sunlight, how they seemed to dance whenever he was being overly insufferable. Her hands ached to trace the line of his jaw and the curves of his lips, so perfect it annoyed her at times. “Alina…” He rasped, his eyes locking on hers.

Her lips were suddenly too dry. So very dry. Unable to delay it, she wetted them, trying to gather some, any wit. But whatever she managed to gather flew out the window the moment she saw Nikolai’s eyes darken with desire at her movement. Saints. Help. Her.

“I want to kiss you, sunshine.” He let out, those words reaching out into her chest and locking her heart in a hold that she was certain would never waver. She wasn’t sure she wanted it to.

“I…” It was barely a sound, and she felt ridiculous. Hadn’t she dreamed of this? Fallen asleep to the idea of maybe one day kissing Nikolai? And all those times, in all her fantasies, she always took the first step or had one very good reply up her sleeve. Now… Now that it was happening, all rational thoughts and basic speech theories flew out the window, never to return again.

Was he closer? Or was she leaning in? She could feel the heat of his body, his hot breath tickling her skin, the shrinking distance throwing her heart into a race against itself. Beat, beat, beating so fast she was beginning to feel lightheaded. So lightheaded. Her eyes fluttered closed as she took a breath and then…

Nikolai kissed her. And it was… thunder. Thunder crashing deep within her, throwing her right off the edge of the world and into a whole new universe. A universe made of her and Nikolai and his lips on hers.

A groan climbed up his throat and then his hand was on her neck, thumb grazing her pulse as Nikolai leaned into the kiss, his lips gliding over hers with a need that grew and grew and grew. Alina felt a moan on her tongue when he teased her and soon she was parting her lips and welcoming him and locking her hands tight into his hair and then she was falling, falling, falling.

Nikolai followed her, hastily climbing after, his lips never leaving hers. Alina could hear her heart drumming so loud, so happily and so fast. Her blood was pure sugar, growing sweeter and sweeter as Nikolai kissed her more and more. Saints help her, this kiss was so much more wonderful than any of her fantasies.

“Alina…” He rasped into her, just before breaking away to kiss the corners of her mouth and trace the line of her jaw, and, and, and…

He kissed her pulse and a moan left her control, announcing the obvious. That Alina was done for, completely and irrevocably done for. If she was already in so deep in love with Nikolai before this, then now… Well, she couldn’t quite think of anything else to do other than kiss him all the time.

She was starting to see stars. Could one see stars with just a really, really great kiss? Because she was seeing them. And how beautiful they were, these stars that Nikolai had put in her sky. So wonderful, so perfect. As perfect as the moment his lips were back on hers, her lungs welcoming his air as their one and only air. But this time the kiss lasted just a moment, just enough to quench their thirst, their hunger for one more, one more, one more.

“Breathe, sunshine.” Nikolai teased her after a while, as Alina’s breathing still came out in laboured rasps, her hands still tight in his hair.

She rolled her eyes, “Shut up, you idiot. You just… Saints, you just dropped that confession on me and then kissed me into my next reincarnation. Let me be.”

His smile was dizzying. So wide and goofy and made of pure bliss. It had more light in it than all his romantic candles had put together. “And you… You stole my heart the moment you first rolled your eyes at me. I suppose that makes us even, no?”

“If I didn’t know you better,” She rasped, her voice still so very hoarse from the kiss, “I’d say you were claiming to suffer from love at first sight.”

Nikolai shook his head and tucked away a few rogue locks of her hair that had somehow fallen into her eyes, “Not love at first sight, no. Captivated at first sight. Or rather, at first roll of the eyes. Or perhaps at first grumpy remark. Your pick, Alina. But I know something that night captivated me. Something about you, and you alone.”

“Oh?”

“And falling in love was as easy as breathing, to be quite honest. Getting to know you, becoming your friend, your best friend…” His eyes took her in, wide and earnest, “It was so easy, and so right. Getting you to admit it out loud though… That was quite the task.”

She shot him a dry look, “You didn’t get me to do anything.”

“True. I suppose the merit is entirely this storm’s.”

She rolled her eyes yet again, “You’re just so dramatic.”

His smile grew insufferable, “It got us both in this position, didn’t it?”

Alina felt her cheeks heat up fast at that, “I suppose.”

“I want to kiss you again, sunshine.” He said, his voice just a whisper, as though he was sharing a dark secret.

“What are you waiting for?” She whispered back, her heart already aching for more.

“You.” Nikolai replied before bringing his lips down to hers.

Alina swore this kiss was even better than the first. Or maybe it was because this time she was completely into it, no longer lightheaded from the what-ifs or her worries. Whatever it was, she was sure Nikolai was right in one thing, this storm deserved all the thanks. After all, it did provide them with the perfect moment.

And the perfect first kiss.

To think it all started with a blanket.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's here at last!! hopefully it was as good as expectations hoped it to be?? also, those two totally made out into oblivion the whole night through ;) ;) ;)
> 
> feedback/comments fangirling is like precious water in a drought <3

**Author's Note:**

> MEET-CUTES ARE THE BEST!!
> 
> feedback/comments/fangirling rocks my socks <3


End file.
